UK-based Chinese Labour Corps?

[IPT]

Liverpool has the oldest Chinese community in Europe, and I came across the Chinese section in Anfield Cemetery today. I was intrigued to find a number of CWGC graves, as pictured below.

Of the 2000 CLC casualties on CWGC, only 20 are in the UK (5 of them in Anfield Cemetery).

Knowing nothing about the CLC, except an apparent propensity to murder each other, I wondered if these were men who hailed from China but had died in the UK, or whether they were British-based Chinese?

[Gregory]

They fell ill en route from China, and were hospitalised on arrival in England. The same is true of the 8 buried in Plymouth (Efford) Cemetery and the 6 in Shorncliffe Cemetery. The one Chinese labourer buried in Colchester Cemetery was not, despite the CWGC attribution, a member of the Chinese Labour Corps.

Of the 94,000 members of the CLC who served in France and Belgium, five were convicted of murder of a compatriot. Does that constitute a propensity?

[Moonraker]

... Knowing nothing about the CLC, except an apparent propensity to murder each other ...

A Wiltshire court in August 1918 dismissed a case against Lam Foi, who was accused of stabbing Hop Yow in a dispute over the ownership of a bird in the Chinese quarters at Old Sarum Airfield.

Moonraker

[IPT]

Of the 94,000 members of the CLC who served in France and Belgium, five were convicted of murder of a compatriot. Does that constitute a propensity?

Well, it was intended as a light-hearted (if ill-advised) comment and no offence was intended.

However, of the 33 men executed for murder between 1914 and 1920, 10 were from the CLC. That's 30% of the total, so i'm going to say yes.

Many thanks for answering my original enquiry.

[Gregory]

Actually, 11 CLC men were executed for murder, and one convicted man committed suicide a couple of days before the sentence was due to be carried out on him. (The figure of 10 commonly cited omits the case of a CLC man who committed a murder aboard ship en route back to China after service in Europe, was put ashore under arrest in Hong Kong, and executed there after a High Court trial.)

I was taking issue less with the fact of the murders, more of the "murder each other". Of the 12 convicted of murder, 7 killed Europeans (local French citizens, and a British NCO). In my forthcoming book on the CLC (out at the end of this month), I discuss possible explanations for the apparent widespread violence among the Chinese labourers.

Looking at your statistic (now 36% in the light of the extra information), could it be that the authorities had a propensity to execute Chinese, and were more likely to take account of mitigating circumstances in respect of Europeans?

[redbarchetta]

What's the book called, Gregory? Any trench art references??!!

James

[centurion]

The question of how many sentences on Chinese were suspended? would need to be answered before any conclusions can be drawn.

[IPT]

The lack of any proper defence seems very possible. I've just read a few chapters of "Strangers on the Western Front" (which also seems to make the mistake that 9 of the victims were fellow labourers), and the courts martial sound shambolic. It also appears that the Chinese labourers were utterly mis-managed.

It's a very interesting subject. Best of luck with your book.

[Gregory]

redbarchetta: It's unimaginatively entitled "The Chinese Labour Corps 1916-1920". I do briefly refer to the trench art of the Chinese, but haven't included any pictures of examples.

centurion: Yes, of course. There are examples of such.

IPT: I think in most of the cases, the guilt was pretty clear-cut. Some of the defences were competent (by officers who were lawyers in civilian life), others perfunctory. The main problem seems to have been that mitigating circumstances - evidence of mental strain, alienation, etc. - were ignored. There was also the language problem, of course. Were the courts-martial shambolic? It depends on one's point of view. I think that there were efforts at following the procedures, but the whole environment of the CLC was pretty shambolic anyway. Were the Chinese labourers were utterly mis-managed? Yes and no. The missionary officers were well-meaning but ineffectual as leaders. The British/Canadian officers from China (in civilian occupations there) were generally respected, but many had little idea of managing rural Chinese. Officers and NCOs posted to the CLC were those unfit for front-line service, such as the wounded, both physically and psychologically, many of whom were in constant pain. The company leaders themselves, then, had their own problems.

Note that the author of "Strangers on the Western Front" is explicit in his agenda of "criticism of the treatment of the laborers and racism against the Chinese" (p. 3). Seen in the context of the time, a case can be made for a much more benevolent attitude on the part of those responsible for the Corps. To quote myself, "With over a hundred thousand Chinese, scattered over a wide area, employed in many occupations and situations, with supervisors of varying experience and competence, there will have been a considerable diversity of circumstances in what was something of a curate’s egg of a scheme."

[centurion]

The lack of any proper defence seems very possible. I've just read a few chapters of "Strangers on the Western Front" (which also seems to make the mistake that 9 of the victims were fellow labourers), and the courts martial sound shambolic. It also appears that the Chinese labourers were utterly mis-managed.

It's a very interesting subject. Best of luck with your book.

Given that the CLC were civilians how come they were court martialed? Or is this just an assumption?.

[Gregory]

They came under the Army Act for discipline (as did many civilians working for the services). This was a tradition that went back a long way in the British army; it wasn't just (as some commentators have tried to suggest) introduced for the Chinese. .

[IPT]

I particularly enjoyed this anecdote, whether true or not;

"On one occasion, an officer was sent from general headquarters to try a Chinese labourer by court martial; he brought with him a supply of plates because the British got the idea somewhere that a Chinese way of taking an oath was to break a plate, after which he would speak the truth."

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZogeRHAIr44C&pg=PA110&dq=%22strangers+on+the+western+front%22+%22a+plate%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7q5VUvP7AaHC0QW8joGoCw&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22strangers%20on%20the%20western%20front%22%20%22a%20plate%22&f=false

[Gregory]

It's true. But the way the author reports it gives the wrong impression, and demonstrates that he does not himself know the history of the procedure. Admittedly, the practice was unknown in China itself, but it was the common in courts in Britain and the British colonies, and in the United States, for nearly a century before the First World War, and is well documented. The oath for the Chinese went something like, "I shall tell the truth, and if I do not tell the truth, my soul will be cracked like this plate." Some courts in the coastal towns in England kept supplies of cheap crockery just in case Chinese mariners came up before the bench. So, the CLC officer bringing the plates to court was not, then,giving evidence of his ignorance, but his respect for what the Chinese themselves accepted as legitimate tradition in courts in Britain and elsewhere.

[bushfighter]

Gregory

Greetings

Thank you for your informative answers and Well Done on writing a book about the CLC.

Please advise us when it is on the market.

Harry

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=96396&hl=weihaiwei#entry902836

[MaureenE]

I recently came across a book on archive.org called Record of services given and honours attained by members of the Chinese Customs Service, War 1914-1918

Published 1922 Shangai

http://archive.org/stream/cu31924023172640#page/n5/mode/2up

Some of the people mentioned appear to be associated with the Chinese Labour Corps. The details are fairly brief however.

Cheers

Maureen

[bushfighter]

Maureen

Thanks for another good link.

I had to use:

http://archive.org/stream/cu31924023172640#page/n0/mode/2up

Harry

[MaureenE]

Thanks Harry

I don't know what happened to the link I posted, somehow it seems to click through to a changed URL. I posted the same link in the Virtual Library, and it seems to work fine.

Cheers

Maureen

[Gregory]

A useful book. I have sifted through all the names, and incorporated the information relevant to the CLC in my book.

It's in press now: I'll post as soon as it's available - hopefully in the next three weeks.

[alougheed]

Hi Gregory,

Glad to hear about your upcoming book, will it be available on Amazon? I look forward to reading it. My main interest is in the work they did with the Canadian Forestry Corps, but It is good to see the topic getting more attention.

[Gregory]

My book is now available. Send me a PM for details.

[green_acorn]

Gregory,

What is the ISBN for your book and the your full name

[MaureenE]

From this link

http://ww1centenary.net/2013/12/05/ww1-books-the-chinese-labour-corps-1916-20/

the details of the book are

The Chinese Labour Corps 1916-1920 by Gregory James, Bayview Educational Publishing 2013, ISBN 978-988-12686-0-0, 1285pp

Cheers

Maureen

[Peter Woodger]

I emailed HK to try to order a copy and was advised that it is now available in UK. I have made contact and ordered my copy. the contact details are

EMail info@petermorris.co.uk

Phone 02083133410

Peter

[MaureenE]

The National Archives article 

Chinese Labour Corps on the Western Front

http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/chinese-labour-corps-western-front-2

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Guest]

Hi All;

 

The Chinese Labour Corps 1916-1920 by Gregory James, Bayview Educational Publishing 2013, ISBN 978-988-12686-0-0, 1285pp

 

cannot be beaten...It is the Bible on the subject! 

 

However; the Real 'Hidden Dragon'; is a much more obscure Paperback..

 

This was a Private Publication by: Michael Summerskill and this is the real 'Daddy' in the Picture! 

It was first published way back in 1982, the pre-internet age...

 

The title is the following;

"China on the Western Front Britain's Chinese work force in the First World War." (A really boring looking book!; Practically; totally black.)

 

I am sure by now that we all know about the film version of events:

 

"Tricks On The Dead!" by; Rare-Earth Media. Out: 2017.

 

And;

 

The betrayed 4-Star General in World War Two:

 

General Joseph Warren Stilwell.

 

"Vinegar Joe".

 

But; how about World War Two:

 

The Chinese Military Mission (Supposedly based in Piccadilly) London.

 

That is still an untapped and untold story...

 

Crowd funding anyone!

 

Addendum.

 

Here is a run down of all the 'KNOWN' C.L.C. Burial Sites in N.E. France. And Belgium. From the map in Summerskill's book.
---------------------------
In Belgium.
Ostend. /Furnes. /Proven /Poperinghe /Dozinghem /Ypres /Lijssenthoek /Menin
--------------------------
In N.E. France
Dunkirk /Eringhem /Caestre /Hazebrouck /Tourcoing /St Andre /Lille /Ascq. /Bourbourg /Audruicq
/Ruminghem /Moulle /St.-Omer /Caestre /Hazebrouck /Pont-de-Briques /Audruicq /Ruminghem
/Tourehem /Moulle /Arques /Calais /Bleriot-Plage /Pont-de-Briques /Longuenesse /Seninghem
/Wimereux /Terlincthum /Boulogne /Hardelot-Plage /Dannes-Camiers /Etaples /Berguette /Lapugnuy
/Bethune /Houdain /Huby-St-Leu /Hesdin /St. Pol-Sur-Ternoise /Duisans /Arras /Ayette /Pommereuil
/Doullens /Noyelles-sur-Mer /Abbeville /Flixecourt /Amiens /Tincourt /Nesle /Ham /Abancourt
/Le Havre /Rouen /Dieppe and *Finally; Paris.

 

*N.B.* It should be NOTED here that there should be more sites but; there are two parts to his map, the second part is simply "Unavailable!".

 

Quite a treasure hunt! Eh!